Nature Trails

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this nurturing environment. Staff are passionate about providing the absolute best care and learning opportunities for all children.

Delivering an ambitious curriculum is of paramount importance, and staff incorporate children's interests, alongside their identified next steps in learning, to challenge and inspire children. Staff create an exciting environment for children, both indoors and outdoors. Resources are plentiful, and activities spark children's natural curiosity to learn.

As a result, children are highly motivated and eager to become involved.Children's behaviour is superb. The a...tmosphere throughout the nursery is one of respect, kindness and thoughtfulness towards each other.

Older children are very caring towards those younger than themselves and those who are new to the nursery. They invite them into their play and give cuddles and reassurance as new children become familiar with the daily routines. Staff are incredibly nurturing and kind and are excellent role models.

An effective key-person and buddy system is wholly embedded in practice. This means that children receive consistent care from staff who fully understand and meet their individual needs.Children have a thirst for learning.

Staff seize opportunities to expand this, particularly outside, for example, when recreating the story of the Gruffalo in local woodland. Staff enable imaginary play to become real. Children who pretend to toast marshmallows while playing outside have the opportunity to do this for real in forest school.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are inspirational. Their passion and drive to provide high-quality, inclusive care for all children is second to none. Leaders inspire staff to be the best they can be, and they recognise and celebrate their achievements.

Professional development opportunities enhance and consolidate staff's knowledge and skills. Policies and procedures reflect the excellent practice and ethos of the nursery.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support.

Staff undertake training to help them to develop their knowledge and understanding of ways to support children with SEND. Partnerships with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and disability services, are exceptional. Staff collaborate with parents to ensure that children receive the outstanding support they need to enable them to achieve and make progress.

Children are actively involved in learning about the world and the impact of the use of plastic on the ocean and the animals within it. Children enjoy being creative and make placards to show the other children in nursery what they have been learning. Children learn about helping others.

The nursery donate to a food bank and coat bank, involving parents and enabling them all to share with each other items that another family may benefit from. Children are learning about coins and the value of money through their involvement in selling coats and waterproof clothing as part of this nursery initiative.Staff support children's language and communication skills extremely well.

They introduce new words through play and the discussions that take place throughout the day. Toddlers delight in painting pictures of pumpkins and spiders after pumpkin picking with their families. They explore paint with their hands and use shapes to make prints.

Older children carefully create their own mosaics, using pictures of swimming pools and bathroom designs as a point of reference. Staff introduce words, such as pearlescent, when talking about how the tiles shine and sparkle.Children are encouraged to become confident and independent individuals.

Babies learn to feed themselves. As they grow, staff provide opportunities for children to pour their own drinks and serve their own food. Children make informed choices throughout the day.

Staff support children through routines, such as toilet training. Innovative ideas are in place for pre-school children using the bathroom. Support is always available, and children can press a bell to let staff know if they require additional help.

This encourages independence in self-help and supports children extremely well as they prepare for the move on to school.Parents speak highly of the nursery. They comment on the nurturing environment where staff get to know the individual personalities of the children.

Parents say that staff enhance children's imagination, and communication between nursery and home is of a high standard. They feel that their children are cared for in a fantastic environment and that they receive amazing support.Transitions across the nursery are successfully tailored to meet children's individual needs.

Parent evenings enable staff to discuss changes in staffing. They talk through any anxieties parents may have, and this also enables parents to meet their new key people. Children spend time in their new rooms.

This means they become familiar with staff and children, which helps to foster secure attachments and build relationships with their new key person.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.